The Third Grade English curriculum focuses on grammar, sentence structure, capitalization, and punctuation skills. With practice, students apply their skills and knowledge to all writing across the curriculum. Students reread their writing, checking for proper use of the skills taught.

Third-grade students review good writing practices of manuscripts and progress to learning cursive handwriting through the Zaner-Bloser program. The purpose of cursive handwriting is to enable all students to write (and read) cursive fluently.

The goal of 3rd Grade spelling instruction is to enable students to write fluently. The spelling lessons are organized around different spelling patterns and coordinate with the weekly Reading and Vocabulary lessons. Students are expected to apply these spelling skills in all their writing across the curriculum.

3rd Grade Reading curriculum teaches students to become more skilled readers through phonemic awareness (connecting letters to their sounds), systematic, explicit phonics (applying the links between letters and sounds to printed words), fluency (reading effortlessly with speed, accuracy, and expression), vocabulary (learning word meaning to build comprehension), and text comprehension (thinking actively before, during, and after reading). Students are encouraged to develop cultural literacy through exposure to various excellent literature by award-winning authors.

Students participate in the Keryma for Kids to begin the school year. Religion instruction is based on scripture and rooted in the teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We utilize the Christ our Life text. The focus of Grade 3 is the Church and the kind of community the Church is called to be. The mission, the message, the prayer, and the actions of God’s special family are explored.

The Science program focuses on the tools and processes of inquiry and the content with life, earth, and physical sciences. Building the skills of inquiry empowers the 3rd Grade students to solve problems, evaluate their solutions, and plan their investigations. Students visit the elementary science lab weekly for interactive labs.

Through the 3rd Grade Social Studies curriculum, students understand how they are linked to others in the community, state, region, nation, and world. Students study history, geography, and citizenship.